For most of my life, mustard was the one condiment I avoided completely. We rarely ate it at home, so when a spicy spoonful snuck its way onto a restaurant burger or a school cafeteria tray, the unfamiliar taste left me unpleasantly surprised. Luckily, my adult years have introduced me to an entirely new variety, one that feels slightly more grown-up in comparison to my once-forbidden lunchtime enemy.

While it is easy to equate the smooth, spicy flavors of mustard with the warmer months -- what with all the backyard barbecues and ballpark outings -- those same flavors prove to be a perfect complement to a number of cold weather dishes.

The thought of pickling mustard seeds may seem somewhat strange at first, but these tiny seeds contain just the right amount of mustardy flavor, plus the sweetness of honey and a peppery kick.

After a quick brine, the seeds plump up into bright golden orbs that burst in your mouth. They serve as an unexpected substitution for traditional golden mustard when spread on hearty cold-weather sandwiches, slathered across a thick cut of meat, served with a charcuterie board, dolloped on eggs, or mixed into salad dressings or marinades. I like to think of them as mustard caviar.

Thoroughly rinse the mustard seeds in a fine mesh sieve. Add the drained seeds, 3/4 cup of the white wine vinegar, and the salt to a bowl and set aside. Allow the seeds to soak at room temperature for one hour.

Add the honey, turmeric, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes to the seed mixture, gently stir, and pour into a small saucepan. (If you prefer a different mix of spices, feel free to experiment -- this recipe is very adaptable!)

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, making sure to stir the bottom and sides of the saucepan regularly. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool (the mixture will continue to thicken). Once the seed mixture has returned to room temperature, stir in the remaining white wine vinegar. When stored in an airtight jar and kept refrigerated, the pickled mustard seeds will keep well for about 3 months.

Note: The seeds will continue to absorb liquid while they are refrigerated. To keep them from getting too thick, you can periodically stir more white wine vinegar into the jar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, whenever necessary.

I had to use waay more vinegar than the recipe but turned out soo good!! As I was cooking it I had to add more because it thickened pretty quick. I'm pretty sure I'll be making this alot from now on! No more French's mustard for this girl! I spread it across a nice piece of rare steak, was absolutely fantastic! Thanks for the recipe!

My first batch turned out great...a little too bitter at first , but it seemed to mellow after a couple of days. I just tried soaking another batch of yellow seeds over night with Pumpkin Ale beer...will let you know how it turns out.

what would be different ways to use this mixture?? it looks good but i can't imagine how i'd finish an entire cups worth. other than meats, burgers, salad dressing, maybe roasted vegetables, i can't think of many other ways to incorporate it. suggestions? thanks!

Hi Anna,I also really like it on eggs! Likewise, I like to keep a jar in our fridge for when company pops by - its a fun conversation starter for a charcuterie board and cheese and cracker spread (it's really yummy on sliced cheddar). Hope this helps!

Hi Yehudit,One way to resolve some of the bitterness is to soak the seeds a while longer (you can soak them for several hours, and I've even seen some recipes that call for soaking the seeds overnight). I hope this helps!

Yum! I just made some. Actually, I halved the recipe and still got an 8oz jar full.

I added minced onion. I also lightly smashed a garlic clove so it was still fully intact and added that to the simmer, removing it when I set the pan aside to cool. I used a butter warming pan over a cast iron diffuser since the bottom of the pan was so narrow.

Next time I'll add some cumin.

Thanks for this recipe. It tastes great and I can't wait to try it on a burger.